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Donations would be accepted while the town got together to start unboarding shop s and cleaning them up The Blums had come up with displays for all the s that ns and sweeping out spaces Cleaning s and setting up displays Poppy orking on sourcing local businesses in the nearby metro areas to open up shop in Lindenbach

The swiftness and efficacy hich the town hadelse here

When we pulled into a spot near the park at the end of Main Street, the sideas full of people in work clothes heading into town A pack of guys near Jo’s age spotted us, leaning in and whacking each other on the aruys seemed to have been no into her

“Heya, Jo”

“Hey, Chris,” she said politely—and with as athered her things

“Haven’t seen you around much”

“When do you ever see me?”

“Aw, co to see you since freshman year”

“Are you for real?” I shot

He acknowledged me with the jerk of his chin “Nice car But it takes irl”

“Are you drunk?” she asked

“Why, want a sip?” He reached into his pocket for a flask

“It’s nine in the ,” she noted

He shrugged, then tipped it back

“And I’ with Grant”

He ducked when his drink shot out of his mouth, which was lucky for him I’d have put him in traction if he’d spit bourbon all over Jo and the interior of my car

Chris stood and wiped his mouth with the back of the hand “Jesus, Jo Marjorie said you horing around, but I didn’t think you’d show it off”

I’d unbuckled my seat belt and was half out of the car when she opened hers hard enough to knock him over, in part because he was trashed and in part because she was out for blood

“Oops,” she said, sla the car door behind her But she bent over hi mouth, or next time I’ll let Grant at you You don’t want that, do you?”

He shook his head stupidly, shootingI could to keephis limbs from his torso

She patted his cheek hard enough that it was more like a series of curt slaps “Good boy”

And then she was s her way over to me and tucked in my side